As I walked through the mall with my friend, I couldn’t help but wonder why athleisure became popular. Do we thank 1980s fashion trends for making leggings and spandex wardrobe essentials for women? Or do we have society to thank for our relaxed outfits?
With my friend now browsing through the racks at Athleta, I found myself in awe of all the colorful fabrics and fun designs. Somewhere between the teal yoga pants and the baby pink tennis skirts though, two things dawned on me at once: 80s fashion was making a comeback, and people were going to hate it. After all, isn’t 80s fashion known as the fitness fashion era, and don’t we “hate” how normalized athleisure has become?
Many may say athleisure is lazy, but I am not one of them. It still takes, in my humble opinion, skill and effort to effectively style athleisure for everyday wear. So, why did I instantly think people were going to hate it then? Maybe because I was remembering the early 2000s.
How many times have we witnessed (or experienced) ridicule over outfit choices, especially as children? The aftermath of the 90s minimalistic trend made “trying hard” one of the most embarrassing things a person could do in the early 2000s. After all, Jennifer Anniston and Courtney Cox didn’t need bright colors or loud patterns or unique accessories to stand out, so why would we want anything different? Suddenly, to wear anything more than solid colors and an unremarkable pair of (name brand) jeans was unimaginable!
From friends to passing faces, I saw those who dared to express themselves through fashion face harsh scrutiny so regularly, it hadn’t occurred to me until much later in life that perhaps the ridicule was never warranted. Maybe our particular fashion choices weren’t in style or “trending”, but maybe we should never have let that dictate our fashion choices.
I think society is starting to realize that too, and the Athleta baby pink tennis skirt is just a personification of that realization. As we’ve gained the confidence to wear colors (maybe even… neon colors) again and learned to ignore the masses by wearing what we want, have we summoned an 80s fashion comeback?
I think yes! No longer will we be shamed for wearing a particular style of clothing (I’m looking at you athleisure haters), and no longer will we be shamed for how “loudly” we stylize. New materials and concepts of beauty are being accepted, mimicking the defining characteristics of 80s fashion!
However, I can’t say I blame the 80s for, what some may say is, our athleisure epidemic. Athleisure may not be everyone’s idea of “power dressing” now, but it was back in the 80s.
Instead, I think society created the problem all on it’s own. Society demanded less color, less extravagance, less originality, and the cost of that left us with nothing but black leggings, gray sweatpants, and a random pair of basketball shorts we forgot we had.
While it may seem like society’s old habits have died hard with the exponential growth in popularity for athleisure brands, like Athleta and Alo, I disagree. Whether it’s because of the design styles or celebrity endorsements (we’re looking at you Ms. Kendall Jenner in Alo), these top athleisure brands have set the aesthetic standard on how to wear athleisure, and now brands like Athleta are working to cultivate unique and colorful statement pieces that encourage individuality and self-expression. What could be more 80s?
While I won’t say Athleta released an 80s inspired athleisure collection, spotting that baby pink tennis skirt (and the neon pink leggings next to it) was the deciding factor for me on if 80s fashion is making a comeback. Now, my only question left is, how soon will we be seeing Kendall Jenner rock 80s fashion with leg warmers? I need all the 80s athleisure ideas and inspiration I can get. In the meantime, check out our featured collage on Pinterest to shop items from the image!